Summer Chills
by MrGooseyMoose
Summary: Matt has something that he needs to get off his chest, and he's hoping that the combination of a colourful sunset, a warm, summer breeze, and an obnoxious best friend might give him the courage he needs to finally do so.


**Hey everyone. This is a bit of a rarity, so allow me to explain.**

**I tend to write a lot of short, oneshot fics at random on nights where I'm feeling particularly emotional, and most of them just end up getting thrown away. However, whilst I don't feel that this is any more special than the ones I would normally scrap, I felt the oddest urge to go ahead and post it anyway.**

**Anyways, I'm not really expecting much from this; but I do hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>"The summer's gonna be ending soon, isn't it?" Matt said, staring off into the colourful sunset ahead of him.<p>

"Yeah, I guess it is." Tai replied, tugging at the cool, green grass beneath him.

"It's sad." Matt whispered.

"I know." The brunette whispered back, softly.

"Tai…"

"Yeah?"

"…there was a reason that I called you out here today." The blonde admitted, turning his head to look into Tai's bright, brown eyes. They were warm; warmer, for sure, than the constant, summer breeze that was currently flowing through his silky, blonde locks.

"Good, I was starting to think that I was wasting my time here." Tai laughed, before taking heed of the solemn expression on his best friends face. "I'm only joking, Matt. C'mon, what's wrong?"

"I…I have a couple of things that I wanna say." He bowed his head. "That I wanna get off my chest. That…that I _need_ to get off my chest."

"You're finally gonna admit that you were the one who lost my soccer ball last year?"

"No."

"Even though I know it was you who lost it?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Tai laughed, scratching his head through his bushy, brown hair. "So, what is it?"

"Well, I…" Matt started, before getting to his feet. "Can we walk?"

"Of course, Matt."

Matt immediately set off from their grassy hill at a slow, heavy pace, with no real direction in mind, and Tai followed behind him, patiently. The breeze was beginning to pick up from behind them.

"Do you ever think back to your childhood, Tai…" Matt started, staring directly ahead of him. "…and to people who you'll never see again, to people that you love; and wish that you'd said goodbye to them in a different way to how you actually did?"

"I guess." Tai shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone has doubts about the little things in the past, right?"

"Yeah. That's sort of my point, Tai."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I don't want to think back to this point in my life, Tai, and have doubts about it."

"I don't understand." Tai replied, frowning in confusion.

"There are some things that go unsaid between us, s-sometimes." Matt stuttered. "But other things…other things need to be said before it becomes too late to say them."

"I guess so…" Tai answered, tentatively. "…what's up, Matt?"

"I…"

"Don't be such a wuss." Tai teased, smiling. "If you've got something to say, then say it."

"It's hard, airhead!" Matt retorted. "I just…I need a moment."

"Ok, I'm sorry."

"No,_ I'm_ sorry Tai…" Matt said, turning to face Tai again. He looked back into those warm, brown eyes, and felt the slightest tingle of courage run up his spine. "…I don't mean to shout. It's just, after this summer ends, we're going to be heading in different directions, you know? And…"

"…and what, you want to say something before it becomes too late to say it?"

"Well…" Matt shuddered, bowing his head down. "…yeah, Tai. I guess that's all it is."

"Right…" The pair stood there together without talking for a while, uncomfortable in what was, ordinarily, comfortable company. "…just so you know, Matt. I don't mind."

"What do you mean?" Matt said, with a voice that all but whimpered.

"Whatever it is, I don't mind. And if it's something bad, then I'll be here for you. If you need help, then I'll help you." Tai smiled, and put a hand on Matt's shoulder. "And if you just need to let something out, and if you just need to talk, then I'll be here for you."

"I…" Matt gulped, trying to keep his eyes from tearing up. "…really?"

"Hey, when _wouldn't_ I be here for you?"

"I…thank you, Tai."

"It's no problem, Matt. I love you, alright?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Of course I do. You're my best friend." He assured. "Now, c'mon. What's wrong?"

"It's…it's really hard to say."

"Matt, you sing embarrassing love songs in front of huge collections of people at a time. How can anything ever be hard for you to say anymore?" Tai grinned.

"That's different."

"Yeah, I suppose it is…" Tai drifted off into silence, and turned to face the sunset. It had fallen a bit lower since last he looked.

"I love you too, you know." Matt said, abruptly.

"Yeah, I know Matt." Tai smiled, brightly. Even his smile radiated warmth, Matt noted.

"You don't, though. Not really."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, forget it…" Matt said, stalking off again. Tai waited for a moment, before following at a hurried pace.

"Don't be shutting me out now, dude."

"Why not? You shut me out all the time!" Matt retorted. "You never tell me how you're feeling, or what you're thinking."

"Ok, what do you want to know?"

"I don't know!" Matt replied, flustered. "You can't just ask me so suddenly like that, my mind goes blank!"

"Then if nothing comes to mind, why do you care?"

"Oh, forget it…"

"Matt…?"

"…"

"I'm sorry. I know I can be an idiot, sometimes. I just don't know what to say..."

"Why don't you have any girlfriends?" Matt asked, unexpectedly, and stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"Tell me. You've never had one before."

"I, er…" Tai said, tilting his head. He stuck a finger in one of his ears and wriggled it about. "…I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about it."

"Thought about what?" Matt pushed. "Relationships? Or girls?"

"Both, I guess."

"Why not?"

"I don't know, Matt. Go easy on me, geez…"

"Now ask me."

"What?" Tai responded, confused.

"Ask _me_."

"Ok…" The tanned boy said, trying his best to keep Matt happy. "…why don't you have any girlfriends?"

"Because I don't like girls." Matt said, before walking away again; this time taking out more distance with each stride. Tai followed behind him closely.

"So?" Tai said, grabbing Matt by the shoulder and turning him around. "What, you think I care?"

"I don't…I don't know, Tai."

"I couldn't care less about whether you like girls or not." Tai assured. "So long as you're happy, Matt, that's all that matters to me."

"And if I said I…if I said I like guys?"

"Then why should I have a problem with that?"

"If I said I like _you_?"

"Then I'd take it as a compliment." Tai laughed, giving Matt a tight hug. "Now, would you stop worrying so much, and just hug me back?"

Matt waited for a few seconds before slowly raising his thin, pale arms up to Tai's waist. He wrapped them around him.

"I don't care if you're gay, Matt." Tai assured, simply.

"Y-you're sure?"

"I'm sure. Honest." He soothed.

"And…what about, well…"

"What?"

"Well, you know…"

"What, you wanna admit that you lost my soccer ball, now?" Tai smiled.

"No, you idiot…" Matt laughed, pulling back to stare into those radiant, brown eyes that he loved so much. "…it's what I said about…about you."

"…you were being serious?"

Matt nodded.

"Then we'll work on it, ok?" He grinned. "It's not a problem Matt."

"Ok."

"And like I said, I'll just take it as a compliment."

"Good, I guess." Matt nodded.

"You know, Matt; the summer may well be ending soon…"

"Yeah?"

"…but it doesn't mean anything; not anything, when it comes to us." Tai smiled. "We've been through too much together to let a little growing up get in our way."

"I'm glad."

"And if we get separated sometimes, that's ok; because we'll always find each other again." Tai assured.

"Thank you, Tai."

"It's no big deal, it's just the truth." The brunette grinned. "And thanks to you too, Matt. For telling me."

"Um-hum." Matt nodded, smiling.

"You know, you're gonna have to admit to losing my soccer ball someday…"

"Fat chance, airhead." Matt smiled.

"Blondie." Tai retorted.

"Goggle brain."

"Gay musician." Tai prodded.

"Tai..." Matt moaned.

"What? I meant it with love, dude." Tai laughed. "It's like I said, I love you Matt. I really, honestly do."

"I love you too, Tai."

"Thanks, my ego likes it when people tell me that…" Tai sniggered.

"Yeah, like your ego needs to be any bigger…" Matt muttered, with a well natured grin. At that, Tai's watch started beeping frantically. Matt knew what it meant. "...you need to go home already?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"That fine." Matt sighed, looking at his feet. "It's not your fault, Tai."

"You can come with me, if you want? And you could spend the night. We could, you know…" Tai gestured indecipherably with his hands. "…talk about you, and stuff. And we could talk about how much you like me."

"Well, it sounds fun…" Matt smiled, nervously. "But I don't think I can tonight. My Dad wants me to be around when he gets home."

"Oh, then, how about we do it tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." Matt nodded. "Thanks."

"Anytime, and anything, for my Matt." Tai said, with a tone of complete sincerity. "Alright?"

"Anytime, and anything…"

"Don't forget it."

"I won't." Matt nodded, feeling a burst of happiness explode in the pit of his stomach.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Matt."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Tai."

They looked into each other's eyes for a couple of eternity filled moments, in which Matt fought the unstoppable urge to kiss his best friend, before Tai finally turned around and began to walk home. He hummed to himself, happily, as he went.

From where he was, Matt watched his love slowly slip out of sight. He rubbed his hands together. It was probably best that _he _started to head home, too. The sun had finally set, and the night time summer chills were starting to get to him.

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><p><strong>Well, there we go. Thanks for taking the time to make it all the way down here, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the story.<strong>

**All the best. :) x**


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